Christian University Football Player Dies at 21, Days after Suffering Game Injury
A Christian university in Oklahoma is calling for prayer and support after one of its football players died Thursday, five days after suffering an injury during a game that was halted for nearly an hour as he received medical attention.
Southern Nazarene University safety Tyler Ulrich suffered the undisclosed injury during Saturday’s game at Ouachita Baptist University and remained hospitalized until his death, surrounded by family, teammates and friends, the university president said in a statement.
A GoFundMe has been set up for the family.
“Earlier today, Tyler Ulrich, a beloved member of our SNU football team and student body, passed away,” SNU President Dr. Keith Newman said in a statement Thursday.
“Tyler sustained a traumatic injury during last Saturday's football game. Since that time, he has been in the hospital, continually surrounded by the love, prayers, and presence of his family, teammates, and dear friends.”
Ulrich was 21.
“As our students, faculty, and staff gathered together on Tuesday for our campus-wide prayer chapel, we anchored our hearts in the truths of Psalm 62 —reminding ourselves that ‘my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my refuge, I will never be shaken.’ In this moment of deep grief, we lean into that very rock and source of comfort,” the university president said.
Newman asked the public to “keep Tyler's family, teammates, coaches, and friends in your continued prayers.”
“May God's peace and comfort be with us all,” Newman wrote.
The GoFundMe, which was set up prior to his death, said Ulrich “stepped onto the football field to play the game he loves” —and what “should have been another Saturday filled with football, teammates, and memories became the beginning of an unimaginable journey for Tyler and his family.” It described him as a “young man with dreams, a future full of possibilities, and a heart rooted in faith.”
“He is a beloved son, a friend, a teammate, and a young man whose faith in God is an important part of who he is,” the GoFundMe said.
It added: “If there was ever a time for a community to come together, it’s now.”
Southern Nazarene University is a private Christian university in Bethany, Okla., affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. Founded in 1899, the university has a mission to “make Christlike disciples through higher education.” Its sports teams, known as the Crimson Storm, compete in NCAA Division II.
Photo Credit: ©GoFundMe
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
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Originally published October 16, 2026.
